Lights for a planted tank.

I have a few different lights now and havent got any of them to really grow plants. My plants i started from bulbs took off and grew great for about 2 months on my beamswork led lights and then melted away. My java fern doesnt die but dosent grow. Just put a dual t5 coralife lighton it to see if that does anything. So I just picked up on of these [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] from my craigslist find but it has no bulbs and i am assuming it works but dont know for sure. Would that be good for plant growth. So I have a normal t8 shop light, a beamswork led, a coralife dual t5, and a cfl retro fit kit. what bulbs should i get and what light fixtures should i use?

Your dual t5 kit with the right spectrum bulbs would be able to grow all low light plants and some medium light plants.

Whats the best bulbs? Right now it has a 10k and an actinic.

10k is fine, but that actinic I would replace with a 6700k-10k bulb.

Exactly what I was gonna say, but Cory beat me to it, lol. If you still what to get some blue color in there, you could put an actinic in your t8 and run along with your dual t5 (thats what I did with my 75 gal)

Does it matter if you have glass lids on the tank or is it better without them? So a 6700k then or another 10k?

It's technically better without them. Glass lids will block 20-30% of the light. But you should be able to grow plants either way once you get the correct bulbs in that fixture.

Wow, I didnt know that. Thanks

Aquarium Co-Op wrote:It's technically better without them. Glass lids will block 20-30% of the light. But you should be able to grow plants either way once you get the correct bulbs in that fixture.

Hi Nick_87,

Although I have found this statistic cited many times on the planted tank forums my testing with the GSAS PAR meter did not substantiate those statements. I tested my 30 gallon with a 2X 36 watt cfl fixture both with and without a glass top; here is what I have found and posted on various forums.

The results were interesting. It was a standard 30 gallon (36" length) with an 2X36 watt (6700K) AH Supply kit over a Aqueon Versa-Top (3/16" clear glass). With new bulbs and no glass top the PAR = 110; with cleaned Versa-Top in place PAR = 101; with "dirty"* Versa-Top in place PAR = 96. All readings were taken with new bulbs @ substrate level about 13 inches below the fixture. If the glass is clear, I don't believe the difference in thickness will impact the results substantially.

*dirty = lots of dried water spots on top; some "etching"; condensation; dust

As you can see from the test results the drop in PAR from 110 to 101 with a clean glass top is only about 8% and with a "dirty" glass top only about 12%. I like glass tops and use them on all of my tanks, they reduce fish loss from 'jumpers', make it easier to maintain a constant temperature, and decrease my maintenance due to the reduction in evaporation.

Well good to know but my glass lids are always pretty dirty from fish splashing so i guess i will just have to clean them more. My tank is a 75gal so is the depth a problem and should i go witha 10k and a 6.7k bulb in my t5's or would a 4x65 watt cfl be better?

Hi Nick_87,

I have found =/-6700K simulates noonday sun and is good for plant growth but it esthetically it looks a little "yellow" to my taste so where possible I use a 6700K in conjunction with a higher 'K-rated' lamp; 10K would certainly be an option.

Also, remember that bulbs/lamps lose about 30% of their brightness over a 12 month period (and the spectrum can shift) so regular lamp replacement can certainly brighten things up!

Nick
I run 4 t5 tubes.... although 70% of the time I'm running only 2...the additional ones come on during prime viewing hours....and my plants grow fine...well, my lights also run from 430 am till 9 pm.

When you come by to pick up come plants, you'll see my set up

Alright so I just got the lights all set up so we'll see how it goes. I have a Dual T5 with a 10k and 6700k bulbs on from 7am-10pm and set up my shop T12 shop light with 2 cool white 4100k bulbs to run from 9am-8pm. What do you guys do for times and what wold you recomend for what im using. I'm just using normal aquarium gravel so what additives and such should I use? Thanks

you could add non-fired red clay to the substrate. If your tank is already setup and full of water, just roll chunks of the clay into spikes, lay them out and let them dry, then just simply stick them into the substrate next to your plants. The clay will provide a steady supply of iron directly to the roots over a long period of time

Nick_87 wrote:Alright so I just got the lights all set up so we'll see how it goes. I have a Dual T5 with a 10k and 6700k bulbs on from 7am-10pm and set up my shop T12 shop light with 2 cool white 4100k bulbs to run from 9am-8pm. What do you guys do for times and what wold you recomend for what im using. I'm just using normal aquarium gravel so what additives and such should I use? Thanks

Lighting time is a balancing act. Your on the right track, just watch your plants growth patterns. Also watch algae growth, and bacterial growths. If your plants start dieing back more than likely you dont have enough light. If your plants or the tank start getting algae all over you are either using to much light and or need a balance of CO2. Your lighting a 75 gallon tank, for the closest advice one would need to know the depth of the tank and how many watts your T5 and T8 shop fixtures are.

When it comes to "additives" what comes to my mind is trace elements and iron supplements. Your using "regular aquarium gravel" you may need fertilizer tabs under any rooted plant, this with iron and trace elements is all you may need. Again though, its all about watching the plant growth to know exactly what you may need...